Hate is a Stong Feeling
by Ice Princess Xia
Summary: Taito and slight Jyoshiro. Can you really hate someone for something they didn't do? Tai finds out that he cannot, and with some help from Joe, he makes everything better again. REFURBISHED OCTOBER 23, 2006


Hate Is a Strong Feeling

Disclaimer: It's as simple as this: I do NOT own Digimon or any part of anything close to it so do not sue me please.  
HI! This is my first ever posted story so sorry if it is messed up! alright, it is one chapter and it does contain TAITO and JYOSHIRO (is that right?) You have been warned. R&R please. Any type of comment is welcomed. And if anything is wrong PLEASE let me know. (I know there are spelling mistakes in there somewhere.)

ENJOY!!!!!

So I have revamped this story as of 2006 so it is much longer and more descriptive than before (well, I hope it will be….who knows what will happen between now and the time I finish). The basic plot is the same; I just touched it up a bit I suppose. I've also decided to set it in Season 2 of Digimon. (I dunno what it had been set in before, but now we all know) Thank you for my past readers and possibly my new readers now that I have updated it.

'Blah' denotes thoughts

"Blah" denotes speech

Hate is a Strong Feeling  
Ice

There was a heavy and frantic pounding on the door as a boy with dark ruffled hair groggily sat up in his bed. Slowly, the boy blinked a few times before reaching for his glasses on his nightstand while also noticing that it was almost midnight. Joe Kido blinked a few more times and heard another loud knock on his door. Joe let out a frustrated sigh and unsteadily made his way towards his front door. 'Who in hell comes over at this hour?' Joe thought to himself and finally reached the door handle. Joe began to open door and was surprised to reveal Matt, snow, and an extremely cold breeze, especially for someone who is wearing their pajamas.

"Matt?! What are you doing out in that snow and here at my house of all places?"

Matt only looked at Joe in response and shifted his weight uncomfortably. Seeing Matt's hunched shoulders, Joe slowly looked down and found a snow-covered Tai bundled up in his arms. Tai softly groaned in Matt's arms and coughed suddenly startling both boys.

"Oh my goodness!" Joe exclaimed taking Tai from Matt and carrying him through the short hallway and off to the nearest couch. As he put him down, he heard Matt come in and close the door behind him.

"Joe, I am really sorry for just bringing him here on such short notice but your place was the closest to where I found him collapsed in the snow and I just figured that since you're a doctor you might…" Matt stopped as Joe put his hand up. Without even looking back at Matt, Joe spoke.

"It's alright Matt, you did the right thing, but do you think you could hand me some blankets from the closet on your left?" Joe received no answer, "Matt?" When he still heard nothing, Joe looked over his shoulder to see Matt also collapsed in a heap on the floor. "Oh great, not him too!"

Joe gently pulled the now unconscious Matt right behind the couch Tai was laying on and quickly grabbed the blankets and some pillows from the closet. While piling the various blankets and quilts onto both boys, Joe noticed that Matt was barely wearing anything. The blonde was wearing a simple black short-sleeved button up shirt with some jeans and only socks whereas Tai was more prepared with jeans, his usual t-shirt, shoes and a heavy jacket.

'I wonder what happened to these two, but I guess I will only find out when one of them wakes up…I just hope it's soon,' Joe thought to himself and stood to give one last look over the two boys before heading to the kitchen. Quietly, Joe made some hot chocolate and came back to the living room holding one of his favorite books as well as his mug. He settled down into an armchair off to the side of the couch so he could see both boys and prepared for the long night ahead.

* * *

Two hours had gone by before Tai finally woke up.

"Joe? What am I doing here?" Tai asked groggily. He began rubbing his eyes and pushing all of the blankets off of him as he tried to determine why he was there. Setting down his reading, Joe helped him sit up and spoke.

"Matt told me you had collapsed in some snow by my house so he brought you here," As he spoke, Joe checked Tai's vitals and felt his forehead for a fever. With a sigh of relief, Joe continued, "Thank goodness he found you or else you could have gotten really sick." At this comment, Tai's expression hardened. Joe raised an eyebrow and was about to ask what was wrong when Tai erupted.

"Thank goodness he found me?! I would have rather frozen to death!" Tai stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest and looked the other direction while mumbling even more under his breath.

"Whoa, alright, what happened between you two?" Joe demanded and sat down on the edge of the couch staring at Tai.

As if Tai hadn't heard him, he ranted on. "I mean, really, it's not like he even cares he just didn't want to feel guilty." Tai paused for a moment before suddenly yelling out, "I hate Matt and I hope I never see him again!"

"Well then I guess I had better leave," was faintly heard as Matt tossed aside the blankets and got up. Tai didn't even turn around as Joe stood up to protest at Matt leaving so soon.  
Shivering, Matt held up his hand to stop him and quickly spoke, "Thanks for letting me stay here Joe. I'll see myself out." With tears in his eyes, he bowed and left with Joe gaping after him and Tai still sitting as stubborn as usual.

Joe sat back down and immediately demanded to know what happened and without complaining Tai went on with his story.

_Flashback Tai's POV 2 hours earlier_

Snowflakes gently fell from the sky as I walked down the street. I pulled my jacket tighter around my body as the wind blew harder. I had always enjoyed the walk to Matt's apartment because of all the different scenery. There was just something beautiful about it; kind of like Matt. I just couldn't help myself from falling in love with him despite how hard I tried to fight it. I used to tell myself that I was sick and stupid for ever feeling the way I feel until eventually I realized that no matter what I told myself, every time I saw Matt or even heard his voice, I was eternally happy; all my problems were solved at the sight of his icy blue eyes or the harmonious sound of his tone of voice. I couldn't hold it in anymore so I finally got off my butt and started walking knowing exactly where my feet would take me.

I was ready to tell him how I felt as I walked up the apartment stairwell. Although, once I got to his floor, the swing in my step faded and nervousness took over. 'No,' I thought to myself, 'I am going to do this tonight! I can't keep this from him any longer.'

My finger shakily lifted to the door and knocked. My brain was telling me to turn and run away while I still could but before I could take a step the doorknob turned. He opened the door and greeted me with his usual smile that I love to death. I faintly heard as he invited me in but I merely shook my head and stood there looking at the ground. After that, everything mixed together in one big jumble of words and me spilling out my heart and soul.

I stood; still staring at the ground, waiting for a reply, but heard nothing from his beautiful lips. I could feel the tears brimming at my eyes and I ran. I could just picture the look of hatred and disgust on his face as I jumped down the stairwell. I kept running until I was in a park near Joe's house. Collapsing on the ground, I caught my breath before the sobs took over. My whole body shook; from the sobbing or the cold, I'm not sure and I didn't really care anymore either. Then, after crying for a bit, I decided to just lie down in the snow hoping to just fade away.

_End Flashback_

"That's it?" Joe blinked before continuing, "That is why you hate Matt's guts?!" Joe stared at Tai with a surprised look and a gaping mouth.

"What do you mean that's it? He just stood there when I told him everything! I poured my heart to him out on his doorstep and he just stood there! He could've said something, anything but the silence!" Tai raged at the top of his lungs.

"TAI!" Joe screamed at him wanting to just smack the boy across the face, "How could you just say you hate him and crap like that when you didn't even wait for a reaction from him before you ran off?!"

Tai looked down thinking, "Well…he doesn't care for me…"

Joe sighs and smiles warmly, "Tai, he cared enough to go out in almost 15 feet of snow with no jacket or shoes in a short sleeve shirt to look for you and then carry you up here to my place. Even if he doesn't love you, he at still cares for you and values your friendship."

Tai slowly looks up as he realizes and with tears in his eyes he whispers, "oh no, what have I done?" He wipes away his tears and getting up says, "Come on Joe! Let's go find my angel!"

Joe quickly grabs his jacket and shoes following Tai out the door and into the still falling snow outside. Tai frantically begins to run around in search of his love while Joe calls his name hoping he is still conscious. Through teary eyes, Tai sees the place where he had sobbed before and couldn't help but smack himself in the forehead for what he had been thinking. Suddenly hearing a faint groan nearby, Joe ran to where he had heard it.

He finds Matt buried in snow and immediately he calls Tai over brushing away some of the snow. Tai quickly turns and runs to Matt's side gently lifting him out of the snow stopping for a moment to tell Joe to call an ambulance. Slowly Tai flips Matt over to see his face is red from the cold, and tries to talk to him.

"Matt? Come on baby…don't do this to me…I need you." More tears fell from Tai's eyes and drip onto Matt's face. Tai faintly hears as Joe calls the ambulance and yells out that he'll be looking for it out by the street so they know where they are.

Soon enough azure eyes open to meet chocolate brown ones.

"Tai…" Matt is interrupted by a cough but soon recovers and continues. "I thought you never wanted to see me again?" Tears fall from everyone's eyes as Tai replies.

"No, Matt! I didn't mean it! I didn't mean anything I said back there!" Wiping away a tear he softly says, "I still love you."

Matt warmly smiles at this and replies, "Oh Tai! When you first told me, I was too shocked that you, Taichi Kamiya, could ever love somebody like me. I'm so sorry I didn't say anything before but I…" Coughs consume Matt's speech and Tai looks at him concerned. Joe runs back up to the two informing Tai that the ambulance is just down the street. Tai nods and looks back to the bundle in his arms as he hears Matt speak faintly.

"Tai, I love you…so much…I always have, always will. Remember that okay?" Tai nods as he hears sirens in the distance. He pulls Matt closer to him and speaks.

"Don't worry Matt. Everything will be alright soon, just hang on." Matt nods and leans into Tai as lights engulf both boys and doctors soon take Matt to the ambulance with Tai and Joe riding along.

* * *

Tai was pacing for ten minutes before Joe forced him to sit down next to him in the hospital.

"Tai don't worry so much. Matt will be fine, the doctor said so himself and I don't mean me." Joe smiles as Tai takes a deep breath turns towards him.

"Thanks so much for everything Joe. If it weren't for you pulling me out of that stupid hole I put myself in, Matt wouldn't still be here." Tai paused as he and Joe shared a short hug. Then Tai was struck with confusion.

"Hey Joe?"

"Yeah Tai? What is it?" Joe turned to face Tai again as he spoke.

"Back when I was telling you about how I told Matt and everything and how I just ran because I was scared, how did you know how I felt?"

After chuckling for a moment, Joe smiles and replies. "This isn't exactly how I expected to tell you this but I guess it's appropriate." At Tai's confused look, Joe continued, "It's because I felt the same way when I confessed my love for Izzy." Tai gasps as his mouth drops to the floor in surprise.

"You…and Izzy…are together?" Joe's smile grew at this question.

"Yep. When I finally told him, he didn't say anything either and I of course feared the worst, but as I looked up from the ground and into his eyes I knew that he felt the same way towards me."

"Wow Joe. Well, I guess I'm kind of late but Congrats!" The boys exchanged another hug and Tai distracted his worries by asking Joe more about he and Izzy.

After a few more minutes of talking, a doctor walked up and cleared his throat to get their attention. Worriedly, Tai looked up asking if Matt was all right.

"Yamato Ishida will be just fine. You may visit him now but he is still resting so please keep it down." Just before walking away, the doctor gave them Matt's room number with a smile.

Anxiously, Tai looked to Joe who just continued to smile at him.

"Tai go and see him. I'm going to call Izzy and wait for him and we'll meet you there, okay?" Tai nodded and began his journey down the hallways.

Breathing deeply, Tai stretched his hand up to turn the doorknob to Matt's room. The door creaked as it opened and revealed Tai's one and only awake and waiting for his arrival. Tears brimmed Tai's eyes yet again as he watched Matt sit up under the white sheets. He slowly walked towards Matt and when he reached the bedside the tears tumbled over like waterfalls. Matt looked at his love confused.

"Tai…wha…?" Matt was interrupted by Tai's loud wails.

"Oh Matt I am so sorry! I never meant to run off and get you sent here! Oh I can't believe I almost killed you!" He threw himself at Matt as even more tears fell.

Matt chuckled a little as he spoke, "Kill me? Tai the only way you could kill me," Matt paused to pull Tai's chin so that they were face to face, "would be if you ever left me again." The two took the moment to share a short but tender kiss before Tai climbed into the hospital bed with his boyfriend. Holding Tai close, Matt rubbed his back telling him that everything would be fine.

Watching from the observant window, Joe put an arm around Izzy and cherished the sweet moment.

End

Well, I hope that anyone who's reading has enjoyed the "new and improved" version of this story. Reviews are always welcome!

Thank you for reading!


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